Escape to the Age of Dinosaurs at Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Safely explore dinosaur exhibits and more at Pittsburgh's must-see Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

The internationally famed hometown museum known for dinosaurs (especially Dippy) is an excellent place to escape the stresses of 2020. Mask up and travel back in time to the Age of Dinosaurs. From on-site exhibitions to online programming, there’s always a way to learn about dinosaurs with museum experts.

See World Premiere Exhibition Dinosaur Armor

Dinosaur Armor proves there’s no offense like a good defense, and that’s been true for millions of years. Travel back to prehistoric times to learn how the drive to survive prompted the evolution of body armor from clubbed tails to thick shells to spikes more than a foot in length. Dinosaur Armor is at Carnegie Museum of Natural History until July 5, 2021.

Get a preview of the exhibition and learn the challenges of installing a new exhibition during the COVID-19 pandemic on YouTube.

See the Original Fossil of the World’s Most Famous Dinosaur: T. rex

Even though you may know T. rex best from Jurassic Park, this fearsome carnivore actually lived during the late Cretaceous Period, about 66 to 68 million years ago. It could weigh up to seven tons and grow to 46 feet long. Carnegie Museum of Natural History is home to the holotype T. rex - the first fossil of the species recognized by science.

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Get to Know Dippy the Dinosaur

Dippy (short for Diplodocus carnegii) is a fern-munching herbivore and Pittsburgh icon. Dippy’s fossil is the holotype specimen (first ever described example) of Diplodocus carnegii, named for museum founder Andrew Carnegie. The real Dippy fossil awaits you in the museum’s Dinosaurs in Their Time exhibition. There are casts of Dippy all over the world including Paris, Berlin, and Buenos Aires. And he was in Star Wars (probably).

When you visit, don’t forget to stop by the Dippy statue to check out his mask. He wears it in solidarity with his human companions to remind us all to #MaskUpPGH and stay safe.

Compete in a Seasonal Scavenger Hunt

Let friendly competition guide your next visit to Carnegie Museum of Natural History with a seasonal scavenger hunt! For August 2020, take a Pennsylvania Staycation to learn museum history and PA natural history. In September 2020, go back-to-school at any age to find specimens with “backpacks,” birds that “get new clothes,” and more on your very own field trip. And this October, get ready to find all things creepy and weird for Halloween.

You can always find the current scavenger hunt at carnegiemnh.org/hunt.

Hint: At least one answer will always be dinosaur themed.

Study Up on Dinos Before Your Visit

A little pre-trip research will make your visit to Carnegie Museum of Natural History even more enjoyable, and there’s plenty to learn about dinosaurs on the museum’s website and social channels. Watch the first episode of Science Chats to hear their curator of amphibians and reptiles chat about dinosaurs with their head dinosaur researcher. Visit the museum’s website to get some background on the exhibition Dinosaurs in Their Time and read the latest dinosaur-related blog posts. Or head over to their TikTok channel to find dinosaur facts sprinkled in between snail jokes, cute animal videos, and facts about other museum areas of expertise.


This blog post is sponsored by Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

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Kylie M.

Author

Kylie M.

Blog Author

Kylie is a Pittsburgh native and Duquesne University alum who loves to travel and explore new things. Follow her on Twitter @KylieMcCracken_ for all things PGH, sports, food & drink.

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